Lead AI Architect in Melbourne

About Leidos Australia

At Leidos Australia, our work goes beyond a job title. We design, build, operate and support the systems, services and capabilities that help protect and advance the Australian way of life. Backed by a global organisation of more than 40,000 people, our Australian team of around 2,000 has partnered with government, defence and national security customers for more than 30 years. We deliver mission-critical solutions where reliability, trust and purpose matter.

Benefits

• Flex Your Way – Tailor work to your life with options including Life Days (up to 12 extra days off per year), part-time arrangements, job sharing, and compressed hours.
• Wellbeing That Matters – Free access to Headspace and MeQuilibrium, plus dedicated wellness spaces to support your mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing.
• Learn Without Limits – Access over 120,000 on-demand courses, alongside technical, project management, leadership, and professional development opportunities.
• Work That Makes an Impact – Contribute to nationally significant projects that matter, solve complex challenges, and accelerate your career through unique growth opportunities.
• Build Your Future – Whether you're deepening technical expertise or preparing for leadership, we'll invest in your development every step of the way.
• And Much More – These are just a few of the ways we invest in our people and help them thrive.

About The Team

You’ll join a team where people work with integrity, inclusion, innovation, agility, collaboration and commitment. In practice, that means sharing ownership, solving complex problems together and staying connected to the customer context, the purpose behind the work and how each role contributes to meaningful outcomes.

The Mission Software Solutions business delivers customized and off-the-shelf software solutions to Defence, Intelligence and other Government sectors. The business also builds capabilities that can be used for a wide range of applications in both traditional and non-traditional environments; providing leadership in the advancement of technological modernisation of complex enterprises within Government.

The Opportunity

This role is ideally Melbourne-based however will consider Canberra if willing to travel. This is not a traditional architecture role. It is an opportunity to lead the design and delivery of a next-generation AI-enabled Mission Systems capability at a pivotal moment in the organisation's technology evolution.

As the AI Enablement Architect, you will shape the technical vision for a strategic AI capability from concept through to production deployment. Working within a complex Mission Systems environment, you will help define how secure, scalable and operationally effective AI capabilities are integrated into mission-critical systems.

• Lead the architecture, planning and solution design for a high-profile AI enablement initiative.
• Define the target architecture, application design and infrastructure Bill of Materials (BOM), ensuring solutions are secure, resilient and operationally ready.
• Partner with stakeholders, engineers and technical specialists to translate operational requirements into practical AI-enabled outcomes.
• Provide technical leadership throughout implementation, guiding build, integration, assurance and deployment activities.

This role offers the opportunity to work with emerging technologies, solve complex technical challenges and play a key role in shaping the future of AI capability within Mission Systems.

About You

You are an experienced Architect who enjoys solving complex technical challenges and turning emerging technologies into real-world outcomes. You bring the ability to balance strategic thinking with practical delivery, influencing stakeholders, guiding multidisciplinary teams and shaping solutions that deliver meaningful operational impact.

Essential

• Australian citizenship and hold a minimum NV1 security clearance, with the ability and willingness to obtain and maintain an NV2 clearance.
• Demonstrated experience as a Solution Architect, Systems Architect, Platform Architect or Enterprise Architect within complex technology environments.
• Experience designing and implementing AI, machine learning or generative AI solutions, including the application of AI governance, assurance and responsible AI practices within enterprise or mission-critical environments.
• Ability to develop solution architectures, technical roadmaps and infrastructure designs that deliver secure, scalable and operationally ready outcomes.
• Experience across cloud platforms, application architecture, systems integration, data ecosystems and cyber security, with the ability to translate complex requirements into practical technical solutions.
• Capability to provide technical leadership across multidisciplinary teams through design, build, integration and deployment activities.

Advantageous

• Experience within Defence, national security, intelligence or other mission-critical environments.
• Experience working within secure, regulated or classified environments.
• Knowledge of MLOps, DevSecOps, CI/CD and modern software delivery practices.
• Experience with retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), knowledge services, intelligent search or related AI technologies.
• Experience supporting technology transformation initiatives from concept through to operational handover.

If this role interests you, we encourage you to apply. We value different experiences and are interested in the capability and potential you could bring.

What To Expect When You Apply

Our hiring process is designed to be straightforward, respectful and easy to navigate. If your skills, experience and qualifications look aligned with the role, our Talent Acquisition team will contact you to discuss the next stage. You can expect:

• An initial conversation with our Talent Acquisition team
• An interview with the hiring manager or interview panel
• Any role-specific assessment, technical discussion or customer step required for the position

We’ll let you know what to expect before each stage, including who you’ll meet and how to prepare. If you need any adjustments or support during the process, please let us know.

Ready to explore what’s possible? If this sounds like a role where you can make an impact and continue to grow, we’d like to hear from you. Please apply via the “Apply Now” button with your resume. If you have any questions about the role or recruitment process, please contact Cam Larkin, Talent Acquisition.